'American Idol' Scaling Back to 1 Episode a Week

According to Variety, Fox announced this morning that the longtime TV juggernaut will scale back to a single two-hour episode per week during its next season—down from the usual two to three episodes per week the show has been used to airing over the last 10 years.

"I think you'll see a two-night format at least initially, during the audition phase," Fox chairman Kevin Reilly told reporters on a conference call. "But I think it's quite likely it will end up being a two-hour show on one night for most of its run."

Idol's popularity has suffered recently due to a number of factors, primarily NBC's The Voice giving it a strong run for its money since debuting in April 2011. The original judges of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul have all left, with a rotating cast replacing them. Most recently, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. have been responsible for deciding the contestants' fate. All three are expected to return for Idol's season 14.

The show's ability to produce pop stars has been questionable, too. For every successful Phillip Phillips, there seems to be a lackluster Lee DeWyze.

In an effort to re-energize the series, Fox says that the show will undertake a new format. That new format, naturally, will still involve Ryan Seacrest.